Remote Sensing Coastal Change
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Remote-sensing technologies—such as video imagery, aerial photography, satellite imagery, structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry, and lidar (laser-based surveying)— can be used to measure change along U.S. coastlines. Quantifying coastal change is essential for calculating trends in erosion and accretion, evaluating processes that shape coastal landscapes, and predicting how the coast will respond to future natural disasters (e.g. hurricanes, landslides, wildfires) and longer term climate trends such (e.g. sea-level rise, ecosystem change, coral bleaching), all critical for U.S. coastal communities. Rapid developments have occurred in remote-sensing technologies during the 21st century. With collaborators from the three Coastal and Marine Science Centers and beyond, we seek to apply these technologies in innovative ways to advance understanding of coastal systems and their hazards. Several investigations under the RSCC umbrella have been collecting and publishing products and datasets since 2017; a number of these datasets can be accessed via the RSCC Simple Data Service. RSCC activities include but are not limited to the following: Photogrammetry of the Outer Banks After Hurricane Florence (2018) several collections of aerial imagery from piloted aircraft over the Outer Banks have been used to create structure-from-motion products to examine the response and recovery and of the coast to large storms. Collections are available for Hurricane Florence (2018). Photogrammetry of California’s Big Sur coast Landslides along Highway 1, exacerbated by heavy rains and wildfires, can be monitored, quantified, and potentially be predicted using aerial imagery and SFM products. Photogrammetry of the Elwha River and Dam Removal An ongoing project - the Elwha River has been studied pre and post dam removal. Part of the process is collecting aerial imagery for use in SFM and creating digitial elevation models to track the change. UAS Coastal Mapping Photogrammetry Drones have been used to collect aerial imagery of multiple segments of coastline from Florida to Massachusetts to create SFM products, sometimes in tandem with a CoastCam installation. Projects include Madiera Beach, FL, and Sandy Neck, MA UAS projects include products independently completed by the Aerial Imaging and Mapping group out of Woods Hole. Stationary Video Imagery (CoastCams) Imagery and video collected from these cameras can be used to remotely sense shoreline position, sandbar migration, rip-channel formation, wave run-up on the beach, alongshore current, and nearshore bathymetry. CoastCams are located in Santa Cruz, Cape Cod, Sunset State Beach, and Puerto Rico. Real time images are available at each site. Structure-from-Motion Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device (SQUID-5) Underwater photos of coral reefs have been used to create SFM products. Machine Learning Techniques using Remotely Sensed Data Image segmentation, water masking, and more using neural networks to classify imagery collected from different RSCC projects. Using tools such as Doodler and Segmentation Zoo